Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Wednesday said the recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on media exchange and cooperation between the Philippines and China would further strengthen government media agencies, including the Philippine News Agency (PNA), consequently enabling them to compete with private media organizations.(Photo: TOTO LOZANO/PPD)

MANILA—Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Wednesday said the recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on media exchange and cooperation between the Philippines and China would further strengthen government media agencies, including the Philippine News Agency (PNA), consequently enabling them to compete with private media organizations.

“Through the news and information exchange training between the PCOO and our Chinese counterpart, government media would become more effective in disseminating the real and accurate information about the programs of President Rodrigo Duterte for the Filipino people,” Andanar said.

Last May 15, Andanar and China International Publishing Group (CIPG) president Zhang Fuhai signed the MOU on News and Publishing at the Great Hall of the People on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China.

The signing was witnessed President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The MOU will serve as the implementing arrangement between the Philippines and China based on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on News and Information Exchange, Training and for Other Purposes that was signed by the PCOO and China’s State Council Information Office in Beijing on October 20, 2016.

Andanar said that under the agreement, China would provide trainings to personnel of media agencies under the PCOO like Radyo ng Bayan, PTV4 and the PNA.

In fact, the Presidential Communications chief said, several PNA reporters and editors have already undergone or undergoing trainings in China.

“The trainings are patterned according to international communication and publishing standards. With this, we expect to raise the capability and quality of government media broadcasting and publishing,” Andanar said.

He likewise said that the MOU with China is just the start in the process of making government media more competitive.

“In the coming months, we hope that government media will be at par with privately-run broadcast channels,” Andnanar said